If your artistic middle schooler adores performing and has vowed to pursue a career in music or dance, he or she now has new academic options in Dallas ISD. Based on the success of the collegiate academy model, the district is launching two new fine arts collegiate academies in August 2019. The programs, at W.T. White and Wilmer-Hutchins high schools, will feature extensive performance options for students and training and career pathways for those who want to become arts educators.
Each campus is now recruiting incoming ninth-graders for a cohort of 50 students for the 2019-2020 school year. The deadline to apply is March 31.
Building on strong choir and band programs already in place in its feeder school community, the Wilmer-Hutchins Fine Arts Collegiate Academy will offer students instruction in the basics of music theory, vocal performance and instrumental conducting along with courses in various forms of dance. The program will include courses in both performance and theory.
In response to strong demand for dance instruction in its community, the new W.T. White Fine Arts Collegiate Academy will offer technical training and career pathways for students who want to make dance their life’s work. At White, the program will include instruction in world dance and cultures, intermediate ballet, modern and jazz dance, and dance composition.
Like all the district’s collegiate academies, the fine arts academies will offer students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and up to 60 hours of college credit or an associate degree, tuition-free, in four years. These programs will also offer a multitude of opportunities for students to gain performance experience and connect with area arts organizations for hands-on training and fine arts experiences.
For more information about both programs, parents can call 972-925-5481.
